For the first time, NINA researchers have recorded an Arctic fox giving birth. Now both they and you can follow the pups live via webcam from the Arctic fox breeding station in Oppdal, Norway.
No less than eight pups are captured in the unique pictures of the birth in their den at Sæterfjellet in Oppdal, Norway. Via the camera, researchers at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) can monitor what is happening live around the clock, and the broadcast is open to anyone.
- It was great to be able to see one puppy after another being born. When the birth was over, we could count eight puppies, which is a good size for an Arctic fox litter, says NINA researcher Kristine Ulvund.
For the researchers, to see the pups being born provides novel information about female behavior and pup survival in the den.
Have seen two litters and 14 pups
In addition to the eight puppies that were born on camera, the researchers have registered another litter of six pups at the breeding station this year. It provides a long-awaited addition following a couple of lean years for the Arctic Fox Breeding Program. When it was started in 2005, there were as few as 40-60 arctic foxes left in the wild in Norway.
The breeding station has eight large enclosures, and breeding pairs live in seven of them this year. The pups that are born are released into the wild, to strengthen sub-populations of the endangered species around the country. Almost 500 pups have been released from the station since it was started, and this is crucial to enable long-term survival of this highly threatened species in Norway.
The Arctic Fox Breeding Program is run by NINA and financed by the Norwegian Environment Agency.
Follow this link for live web cam here
Find out more about the Arctic fox here
Contact:
Kristine Ulvund
Craig Jackson